Nearly seamlessly, Josh Ross has made the chart-topping transition from hard-hitting school defensive again to considered one of nation’s prime heartbreak balladeers. His success now appears to be shifting even sooner than his 40-yard sprint time.
Buying and selling Cowl 2 defenses for making a music playlist that now attracts practically three million month-to-month Spotify listeners is kind of the achievement for an artist who first picked up a guitar after football-related accidents stored him from pursuing the game any longer.
Final yr grew to become a landmark yr for Ross: After dropping his debut album, Later Tonight, he hit No. 1 on U.S. nation radio with “Single Once more,” and racked up a number of CCMA awards—Canada’s model of the CMAs—together with Entertainer of the Yr. Now a veteran on main excursions, he’s opened for Jelly Roll and, earlier than he begins headlining his personal Later Tonight tour in February, Ross is ready to take the stage at Luke Bryan’s annual “Crash My Playa” in Mexico.
And the accolades maintain coming—Ross was additionally not too long ago named considered one of Nation Radio Seminar’s 2026 New Faces of Nation Music. Not unhealthy for a former school athlete who initially didn’t see music changing into his full-time gig. “I’d sing at events or karaoke or no matter it might be, however I didn’t take it significantly at first,” Ross admits. “It wasn’t the cool factor. Sports activities was the cool factor.”
Nowadays, Josh Ross nonetheless carries an athlete’s drive, however he’s tailored that depth for a brand new objective. Success within the studio and stage has pressured him to make some sporting sacrifices for the sake of his long-term profession. An avid BMX fan, Ross admits to being extra risk-averse for the security of his profession in addition to his physique. “I’ve two bikes, however I don’t experience one—it wouldn’t be good,” he says.
That trade-off doesn’t imply Ross has let go of his soccer mentality. The gymnasium stays a second residence of kinds, however his coaching targets have now shifted from efficiency on the sphere to the stage. Singing hit songs for 90 minutes takes priority over knocking receivers to the turf, and this actuality means much less energy cleans and extra cardio to remain sturdy all through a demanding yearlong tour.
“With music, similar to soccer, you knock down what’s in entrance of you and maintain working ahead.”
As an alternative of Hitting Large Receivers, Josh Ross Now Trains to Hold Hitting the Excessive Notes
As a defensive again at Ontario’s Western College from 2012 to 2016, Josh Ross relied on his pace to make a direct and intimidating influence on opposing offenses.
“My factor was to exit at the start of the sport and attempt to hit anyone as onerous as I may,” Ross says. “Then they don’t wish to come throughout and catch the ball once more. That was at all times my tactic, whether or not that was good or not.”
At 6′, 185 kilos, Ross says his athleticism got here from an equal mix of pace and energy. He remembers being clocked at 4.47 seconds within the 40-yard sprint. His weightroom numbers have been equally spectacular, benching 225 kilos for 12 reps whereas boasting an influence clear PR of 285 kilos.
He’s nonetheless happy with these numbers—and says he could sooner or later attempt to match them—however after a current exercise got here a sobering reminder of how a lot music has pulled him away from his former athletic peak.
“In London, I went one morning and wished to simply let loose some vitality, and I began doing energy cleans and stuff like that,” he says. “The following morning, I awakened and thought, I’ve not been this sore in my shoulders and lats and traps for therefore lengthy. Each now and again, I nonetheless really feel like I can do it, however I undoubtedly can’t.”
As an alternative of prioritizing explosive, max-effort, dynamic coaching as he did throughout soccer, Ross now follows a extra conventional bodypart-split routine. The simplicity helps nowadays, particularly with the grueling journey schedule that goes with being a top-selling nation artist. He brings a set of dumbbells on the highway, however will regulate his exercises to suit regardless of the lodging present—be it a totally geared up health middle or a restricted resort gymnasium.
“Now I simply do again and biceps, shoulders and chest, and a leg day—these sorts of splits,” he explains. “Plus I’ll combine in a little bit core work on the finish and perhaps a little bit of cardio.”
Though his job now not requires him to cowl 110 yards from sideline to sideline, Ross admits that touring greater than 100 days a yr requires a brand new type of conditioning to maintain hitting excessive notes with out gasping for air by encore time.
“One of the simplest ways to coach for singing is to dash after which cease and sing a verse, then dash once more and sing a verse,” he says. “Interval type coaching would translate properly for this.”
Balancing Health and Band Life on the Highway Requires Teamwork
Not coaching for soccer means Ross generally finds stability away from each the load room and the stage. Generally, that’s as straightforward as a little bit of catch-and-release at a neighborhood pond. “If I’ve an hour to kill, I’ll go check out and see what there’s,” he says. Like different artists, Ross enjoys the occasional spherical of golf, although he admits managing his swing is more durable than music. “I want I may say I used to be good at golf,” he says. “I’ll play. I’m not nice, however I get pleasure from it.”
If there’s one sport he’d select to pursue after soccer, Ross says motocross—a ardour handed down from his father—would nonetheless prime the listing. “If I may choose one sport on the earth that I may have been an expert at, that may have been it.” Whereas the chance of harm retains him off the bike now, he’s glad to share his ardour with like-minded bandmates. “I nonetheless watch Supercross on TV after we’re on the highway or on the bus,” he says. “A few of the guys are tremendous invested in it as properly, which is cool.”
The bonding between Ross and the band extends past watching BMX movies. Getting stronger collectively, he says, performs a component in a stronger efficiency come present time.Ross makes a degree to schedule exercises, whether or not it’s a fast morning session earlier than interviews or a late afternoon train routine. “It’s been good to discover a routine on the highway. I feel that’s the toughest half about being in bizarre time zones and schedules.”
On most present days, Josh and his band attempt to hit a neighborhood gymnasium collectively for a late morning or noon exercise, specializing in body-part-specific coaching. Whereas it’s onerous to construct large muscle on the highway, retaining everybody accountable helps foster camaraderie—regardless of the place the tour takes them. “We attempt to discover a native gymnasium, get again by one or two, then it’s sound test round three,” he says. “We’ll even run if we are able to.
Due to the unpredictability of touring life, self-discipline, Ross says, turns into one of many keys to staying in prime form year-round, which makes vitamin a vital half as properly. Whereas touring, he focuses on protein-rich meals and retains pre-made choices on the bus to keep away from late-night quick meals stops. Protein shakes and bars assist maintain him fueled and wholesome whereas on the highway.
“I attempt to take heed to my protein consumption and maintain pre-made meals, like Issue meals, on the bus. If the fellows cease for McDonald’s at 2 a.m., I’ll pull out a type of meals as a substitute.”
Turning Soccer Harm Into Nation Music Fame
Soccer performed a significant position in Josh Ross’s life, however back-to-back ligament tears in his proper ankle required reconstructive surgical procedure and two separate rehab stints. The time away pressured Ross to return to a essential realization that the game was solely a brief a part of his private evolution.
“It’s an extended course of—4 to eight months—and it was actually irritating to return again, solely to have the identical factor occur once more on my second day again on the sphere. Then it’s like, okay, reset and undergo nearly one other half a yr of rehab. I misplaced my love for it.”
These accidents finally shifted his ardour from zone protection to overlaying tunes onstage. As he step by step stepped away from soccer, Ross turned to music as a brand new outlet, educating himself guitar and even some piano by means of YouTube tutorials.
Rising up in Ontario, Ross first experimented with lyrics by journaling about every day life—a behavior that finally led to his earliest songwriting makes an attempt, together with his school track “Low-cost Pink Wine,” amongst others. “They have been horrible,” he admits with amusing. “At the moment I in all probability thought it was the perfect track ever. You then get humbled in a short time.”
Though he stopped enjoying soccer, Ross discovered that success in music required the identical relentless mindset: “Soccer taught me that if you need one thing, you’ve bought to grind.” Some phrases of knowledge from his head coach, Greg Marshall, additionally reassured him he was on the suitable path. “He advised me that in the event you’re not fully in [football], simply don’t do it,” Ross remembers. “You are able to do a lot else.”
By 2019, Ross was residing in Nashville full-time, and all of the onerous work started to repay. He relied once more on teamwork—this time with teams of writers—and shortly the hits began coming. In 2022, his single “First Style of Gone” gave him his first style of nationwide recognition. That yr, he was a Rising Star nominee on the Canadian Nation Music Awards and carried out on the Gray Cup halftime present.
Two years later, Ross formally achieved breakout standing. He’s adopted up the success of “Single Once more” with the favored “Hate How You Look,” setting the stage for the primary leg of his Later Tonight tour, which begins Feb. 6 in New Brunswick, Canada.
“These previous two years have been particularly good for me—I undoubtedly really feel like I’m heading in the right direction. Between particular venues, awards, and my first primary at US nation radio, there have been numerous wins, and I’m very grateful for all of them.”
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